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Swirly's All-inclusive Ant Journal

Started By Swirlysnowflake , Jan 8 2021 8:59 AM
ant journal myrmecocystus veromessor tetramorium ants california

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40 replies to this topic

#21 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 10 2021 - 11:44 AM

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Monomorium sp:
This is a 4q colony with 10 workers. I collected 15 queens but so released most of them. This colony has a pretty large brood pile.

Unknown species, maybe T. sessile?:
This colony has 3 queens and with a few eggs. I collected these before their nuptial flight with 3 males, so hopefully these are fertile now but not sure.

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#22 Offline azzaaazzzz00 - Posted June 10 2021 - 11:56 AM

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Do you have any pics of one of the queens?


Been keeping ants since January of 2021

Always try new things, even if its hard, hard is not impossible. We are smart and it's good to be smart but not too smart for your own good.

#23 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 10 2021 - 12:58 PM

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Do you have any pics of one of the queens?


Assuming you are taking about the unknown sp, here :) https://www.formicul...ca-june-6-2021/

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#24 Offline azzaaazzzz00 - Posted June 10 2021 - 3:33 PM

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Ok thanks, also, I agree that it's probably T. sessile. :) 


Been keeping ants since January of 2021

Always try new things, even if its hard, hard is not impossible. We are smart and it's good to be smart but not too smart for your own good.

#25 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 16 2021 - 9:09 AM

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I caught one Formica queen, and purchased 4 P. californicus and 4 S. xyloni. The Formica has no eggs yet, but the xyloni all have tons of eggs and larvae.


Edited by Swirlysnowflake, June 16 2021 - 5:33 PM.

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#26 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 20 2021 - 7:51 AM

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Xyloni have extra juicy larvae and all Pogonomyrmex have eggs!


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#27 Offline PetsNotPests - Posted June 20 2021 - 7:57 AM

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Xyloni have extra juicy larvae and all Pogonomyrmex have eggs!

Extra juicy. Just how I like it.


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Ants are Pets, not Pests. 

 

-Camponotus sansabeanus

-Camponotus US-CA02

-Camponotus vicinus

-Formica podzolica

-Monomorium spp.

-Pogonomyrmex californicus

-Solenopsis spp. 

 

#28 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 25 2021 - 6:19 PM

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Updates-

 

2 P. cali queens dead :( I accidentally overheated these two, sadly. I feel really bad… But the other two are fine and I gave the dead queens eggs to the alive ones. 

 

I also caught a Formica queen some time ago, but she still has wings and hasn’t settled in so I suspect she is infertile :( I was really hoping she’d lay because Formica are so cool.

 

Solenopsis larvae are growing quickly- except for one queen who ate hers  :mad: Hopefully, she’ll lay again. I hope the others will get pupae soon though- the larvae are getting big. The queens with larvae have also laid a second batch of eggs!

 

The tetra queens larvae are growing, but not as fast as the xyloni because I’m not heating her. She also has new eggs.

 

The veros have lots of new brood. I’m also providing extra protein so they grow faster


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#29 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 28 2021 - 9:38 AM

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Xyloni have pupae already! (Only the pair that were on heating though)


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#30 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted June 30 2021 - 1:55 PM

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Tetramorium queen has pupae and nice fat larvae! 


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#31 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted July 8 2021 - 8:57 AM

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First xyloni worker! She’s so tiny and cute. More look like they will be hatching soon in both the heated colonies. The tetra queens pupa are also darkening so she should get workers soon too


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#32 Offline PetsNotPests - Posted July 8 2021 - 9:12 AM

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Great!  :D


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Ants are Pets, not Pests. 

 

-Camponotus sansabeanus

-Camponotus US-CA02

-Camponotus vicinus

-Formica podzolica

-Monomorium spp.

-Pogonomyrmex californicus

-Solenopsis spp. 

 

#33 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted July 8 2021 - 9:32 AM

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so lucky i would love to keep xyloni but they grow really fast like 500 workers in 2 months on heat


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1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

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#34 Offline yibsi - Posted July 8 2021 - 6:22 PM

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so lucky i would love to keep xyloni but they grow really fast like 500 workers in 2 months on heat

xyloni are on my wishlist, too bad all we have here in central illinois are the smaller thief ant solonopsis.


    Nylanderia parvula - 4 queen polygynous colony with larvae + devoloping workers

    Camponotus pennsylvanicus  - 1 queen with 2 cocoons, and a few larvae and eggs

    Tetramorium immigrans - 3 colonies, first nanetics!

    Formica pallidifulva - 1 queen, 8-10 eggs

    Tetramorium atratulum - 1 queen with roughly 17 host workers

    :D Pheidole pilifera - 1 queen! recently caught! :D

    Solenopsis Molesta - 2 queens so far, polygenous set-up

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My Ant Journal - yibsi’s Wonderful Ant Keeping Journal 5-22-21 - Ant Keeping Journals - Ants & Myrmecology Forum (formiculture.com)

My T. Atratulum Journal - https://www.formicul...ontinued/page-2

#35 Offline yaboiseth - Posted July 8 2021 - 6:26 PM

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First xyloni worker! She’s so tiny and cute. More look like they will be hatching soon in both the heated colonies. The tetra queens pupa are also darkening so she should get workers soon too

Good to hear them doing good! Sad about the two Pogonomyrmex. I'm soooooooo close to my first successful Pogonomyrmex founding  :D one has quite large larvae.


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#36 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted July 9 2021 - 7:27 AM

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First xyloni worker! She’s so tiny and cute. More look like they will be hatching soon in both the heated colonies. The tetra queens pupa are also darkening so she should get workers soon too

Good to hear them doing good! Sad about the two Pogonomyrmex. I'm soooooooo close to my first successful Pogonomyrmex founding  :D one has quite large larvae.

 

Good luck with yours! I also have one Pogonomyrmex queen has a nice pile of larvae which I hope make it to workers :)


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#37 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted July 10 2021 - 11:39 PM

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Tetra queen has her first workers! The most productive xyloni colony now has 4 workers and more on the way :D

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#38 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted July 14 2021 - 10:14 AM

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Both remaining Pogonomyrmex have nice piles of larvae! I’m really happy to see this because i’ve heard how hard founding Pogonomyrmex can sometimes be. 

Both unheated xyloni have not gotten workers yet though one is close, and the other queen is a dud I think- she keeps eating her eggs even though I’ve started checking on her quite infrequently so she wouldn’t be stressed out.

The Veromessor might need a new nest soon, as they just had a large population boom with lots of big majors. What would be a good upgrade from a mini hearth XL?


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#39 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted July 15 2021 - 8:18 AM

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Could it possibly be that the Formica queen has laid an egg?? 
She did and I’m hoping that she is fertile


Edited by Swirlysnowflake, July 15 2021 - 8:19 AM.

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#40 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted July 23 2021 - 8:06 PM

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New ants!!!

Single queen Temnothorax
5962688F-918B-4086-ABAA-C14FBF90BD0D.jpeg

Liometopum occidentale
FFE30708-50BA-4A5E-B82B-86F57EF5FD1C.jpeg 357EB8B1-636C-4A4A-822E-77F65C9609BB.jpeg

Five queen Temnothorax colony
F832D9F5-61D7-4365-BF4B-B48F7F0C587D.jpeg

Camponotus!
9BFAD587-CF73-455D-82C5-84D04253DBC1.jpeg

I’m super excited for these new ants- especially the adorably tiny Temnothorax!
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